The 12 best commercial photographers in London

Humans are visual creatures and commercial photography is an indispensable piece of the puzzle when building a brand or campaign. Not only does it give customers and clients an insight into a company's product or service, but it helps to build a story about what they represent.

So whether you're a brand looking to source imagery for your campaigns, or you yourself are a commercial photographer in London that wants to gauge your competition, it's always a good idea to stay in touch with what's on the market. This list of commercial photographers in London is a great reference point for either, and an ideal place to start if you're looking for a deeper understanding of what brings success in the world of advertising photography.

Many of those on the list offer complimentary consultations for potential clients, and all are easily contactable via contact pages or emails on their websites. Let's dive in!

Contents:

1. Tais Sirote
2. Stuart Bailey
3. Pete Elliott
4. George Logan
5. Jonathan Knowles
6. Nadine Brandt
7. Nick Dunne
8. Jonathan Kennedy
9. Maja Jankowska
10. Matthew Lloyd
11. Matthew Joseph
12. Michael Molloy

1. Tais Sirote

Tais Sirote is a commercial director and photographer in London, who through her work pushes the visual boundaries of photography to bring innovative and modern concepts to the world of advertising. Her impressive client list includes the likes of Harrods, Stella McCartney and Brewdog.

When shooting products, it's crucial that your product photography lighting setup allows for crisp and detailed photographs, but that doesn't mean that you can't still get creative with this aspect of shooting. Much of Sirote's work plays with shadows, working to create intense and stylistic representations of her subjects.

Sirote is a great reference point for those seeking inspiration for commercial and product photography ideas. Spanning the industries of beauty, accessories, and drinks, she takes the ordinary and transforms it into something novel and intriguing, shifting our perception of the material world around us and turning it into art - the ultimate endeavour of any photographer!

Follow Sirote on Instagram for a curated collection of her work.

2. Stuart Bailey

Stuart Bailey is a commercial & lifestyle photographer in London that specialises in bringing to life the humans and spaces behind leading businesses around the UK. With a particular focus on transport and travel, Bailey has worked with the likes of Heathrow Airport, Ogilvy, and Samsung to help these companies showcase their personal narratives and brand identities through their commercial photography.

Recognised for his works' polished yet natural look, Bailey boasts an extensive portfolio that offers a glimpse into his diverse and refined skillset. It can be difficult to capture authenticity when staging human interactions in a professional context, particularly for large corporations, but Bailey manages to capture something that feels real and emotive.

In the world of commercial photography, this ability to effectively direct human subjects allows you to quite literally give a brand a human face. Seeing images of staff or customers that appear happy, comfortable and authentic is an important part of building a brand narrative that is relatable and appealing to a mass audience.

Bailey posts regularly on his Instagram and Twitter pages, where you can get the latest on what he's working on.

3. Pete Elliott

Pete Elliott is a freelance commercial photographer and filmmaker based in Southampton and London, specialising in visual storytelling for brands. Promising to elevate your brand and make your business stand out, Elliott's work is rooted in exposing the meaning and narrative that his clients want to convey.

Elliott's specialties in travel, sport and the outdoors are informed by his own longstanding love for the outdoors, and his personal desire to explore new places and connect with new people. Driven by this personal connection to his work, Elliot has produced timeless and picturesque campaigns for huge brands like Brewdog, The North Face, and Fujifilm, offering a range of bespoke services across photography, film, and post production.

Elliott follows his work all over the world, and his portfolio displays his continued ability to evoke feelings of calm and tranquillity through his use of natural environments. As a commercial photographer, it's important to have a hold on your stylistic approach, as this means that potential clients can identify the specific benefits of hiring you over others offering similar work in the same industry.

If you want to discover more, check out Elliott's Instagram.

4. George Logan

George Logan is a critically acclaimed commercial photographer, whose playful creations have invited worldwide applause. From Adidas to IKEA to Sky Sports, Logan has worked with many of the world's biggest brands, and never fails to pull off the perfect mix of humour, style, and intrigue.

Logan is committed to wildlife conservation and often uses his skills as a photographer to promote campaigns for this movement, working regularly with The Born Free Foundation and other anti-poaching groups.

As a photographer, associating yourself with social and environmental movements is a great way to promote the issues that matter to you, and give your clients an idea of the principles that you stand for as a brand.

To stay up to date, follow Logan on his Instagram.

5. Jonathan Knowles

Johnathan Knowles is an award-winning advertising photographer, specialising in drinks, liquids, food & still life. Having worked with brands like Dior and Heineken, Knowles has mastered the art of iconic and distinct imagery, perhaps most recognisably in his creation of the O2 bubbles. This stands as a great example of how less is often more in commercial photography: create something that it is simple yet distinct so that it becomes in itself an emblem of the brand it represents.

As is evident in much of Knowles' work, this type of commercial photography is likely to require a meticulous post-production process using photo editing software, so it's important that you're well-versed in how to clean up your images and create these types of visual effects.

Knowles keeps the world updated on his projects through his various social media accounts, including his Twitter, Instagram and TikTok feeds.

6. Nadine Brandt

Nadine Brandt is a commercial and branding photographer originally from Berlin, now based in London and Surrey. By working closely with her clients, Brandt seeks to embark on a shared mission to produce visual content that connects a brand to its clients and customers. With a focus on health & well-being, fitness, and interior design, Brandt's style is clean, minimal, and timeless. Her work has been featured in publications such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

As Brandt notes, “Connect Create Inspire” are the values at the core of her business, and she uses these pillars to drive her creative mission in producing captivating photos that tell captivating stories for her clients. Informed by a 15-year-long career in asset management, Brandt has an acute understanding of brand-building and corporate identity.

Follow Brandt on her Instagram for a curation of her tranquil photography.

7. Nick Dunne

Nick Dunne is a commercial & advertising photographer in London specialising in still-life photography. Out of his studio in Bethnal Green, Dunne creates vibrant and conceptual campaigns for leading brands including Dior, Chanel, and ASOS.

His clean, modern aesthetic is well placed within the world of commercial photography, where the key is to ensure that the product takes centre stage, whilst still producing something that is creative and distinct. To achieve this, Dunne often plays with colour in his work, using tonal palettes and colour theory to produce bold, aesthetically pleasing compositions that 'pop'!

These types of photographs require a studio, and whether you're using your own, creating a portable photo studio or renting somewhere out, it's crucial that you have the right photo studio equipment to pull it off. Good shoots require planning so it's important that you consider what tools you'll need to pack to execute your vision.

Follow Dunne on his Instagram to discover more.

8. Jonathan Kennedy

Johnathan Kennedy is a London-based photographer specialising in food photography for advertising, editorial and social media. Kennedy has built an enviable portfolio working with some of the UK's biggest food brands including McDonalds, Deliveroo, Cadbury and Heinz.

Through Kennedy's work, you can see the result of effective collaboration and harmony between commercial photographers and the brand design team. His photographs fit seamlessly into the style and vision of the campaign, using angles and props to support different effects.

Beyond his photography itself, Kennedy's website is a great example of how to market yourself as a photographer. It is clean and easily navigable, including a detailed 'About' section that outlines his personal journey as a commercial photographer in London.

Kennedy is active on his Instagram, where he posts his latest projects and campaigns.

9. Maja Jankowska

Maja Jankowska is an advertising photographer in London, specialising in beauty and skincare. Having worked with brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Urban Decay and ASOS, Jankowska has proven that her creative vision and attention to detail are valuable assets in the world of commercial beauty photography.

With a background in creative directing and journalism, Jankowska has first-hand experience with end-to-end production, and she pulls from this professional experience to help brands build their identity and produce campaigns that deliver results.

If you want to stay up to date on her work, follow Jankowska on her Instagram.

10. Matthew Lloyd

Matthew Lloyd is an advertising, corporate and editorial photographer, based in Harrogate and London. Specialising in "stylised location shoots and natural reportage", Lloyd's career is as impressive as they come.

With a list of reputable editorial clients including The Times, Bloomberg and the Guardian, Lloyd has made a name for himself in the business and has also had his work displayed in London's National Portrait Gallery. Perhaps most excitingly of all, he is regularly commissioned to photograph high-profile celebrities and business people, from Prime Ministers to Hollywood's biggest stars (including Hugh Grant, who is both, kind of...).

As with many of this list, Lloyd's website is another that poses great inspiration for those starting a photography portfolio: his specialities are categorised into different sections so that potential clients can easily navigate between, and find the work that they are interested in.

Follow Lloyd on his Instagram for updates and campaign examples.

11. Matthew Joseph

Matthew Joseph is an award-winning advertising photographer and director in London, whose people-focused approach and attention to detail have enabled him to deliver unique and authentic photographs that work to fulfil his mission of producing impactful visual storytelling for brands across the world. His client list includes a range of reputable brands, such as Barclays, Canon, and Coca-Cola.

"Chasing the emotion in authentic human interaction", Joseph prides himself in being able to capture something that is raw and human, even in his still photography. Unlike the candid, hands-off approach of street photographers, commercial photographers that use human subjects often have the challenge of making staged interactions feel real and authentic. This is all about selling a feeling to an audience and encouraging them to see themselves in the humans that they photograph.

Joseph's Instagram feed showcases a collection of some of his best work.

12. Michael Molloy

Michael Molloy is a commercial photographer in London who works for design groups, PR agencies, and small and large companies to produce captivating images for their campaigns. With over 20 years in the business, Molloy has demonstrable expertise both in advertising photography and post-production, with a skill for editing and retouching in photoshop. Previous clients include the NHS, National Express, and Malibu. He is based in East London but regularly travels for assignments across London and the UK.

Molloy's portfolio displays his impressive range of experience, including aviation, interiors, automotive, and corporate portraits. Not to mention, equipped with standard PPE and Public Liability Insurance, Molloy is a reliable option for those seeking a construction photographer with experience on-site.

Molloy's comprehensive website includes detailed information on pricing, timeframes, and his production process. Follow him on his Instagram for a peek into his portfolio.

Takeaway

As this list demonstrates, at the core of good commercial photography is good storytelling. As a commercial photographer, you must be able to convey both the brand and the product's core selling points and leverage these to build a narrative and create a lasting impression. It's important that you involve your client in this process and communicate with them throughout so that you can better understand their vision and their audience. Of course, they have hired you because they align with your own creative vision, but at the end of the day it is their product or service that they want to sell, so their brand identity must shine through. Mastering this harmony is at the heart of success for commercial photographers.

Looking at other commercial photographers in London is a great way to see how this is achieved by leading professionals within the industry. Immerse yourself in creative inspiration, and learn from the best in the business. For more inspiration from some of London's best photographers, why not check out these upcoming photography exhibitions in London.